Treating Urinary Tract Infections

To drink and drink and drink, now I do agree with that.

Mashie

Adding my experiences: my latest round of frequent uti’s resulted from a kidney stone. Kidney stone removed; no more uti. Had no definitive other symptoms—back pain thought to be from poor posture and that was it.

Being in a profession that can sometimes limit regular bathroom visits has contributed to previous infections. Now I force the issue and make sure I’m in a restroom every couple of hours. And like others have suggested, I drink a lot of fluids!

Getting that "uh-oh" feeling... I'm not drinking enough in my current job because of the difficulty of running for water and then the bathroom.

My wife had UTI's on 7 Dec and again on 2 Jan. We're dropping a urine sample off again today as she thinks she now has another one. Fourth or fifth UTI in a year. Cultures have shown the same bug. First antibiotic was Cipro, then switched to sufalmethoxazole (?). Saw the doc early this month and she said there are mixed studies on cranberry juice - some suggest the acid help clear the urinary tract and keeps bacteria from attaching. It can't hurt. She recommended if you're going to use it use cranberry pills vice juice - save you a couple hundred calories per day. She also wrote a script for Premarin - an estrogen cream to rub on your urethrea. Supposed to increase mucous and create a protective barrier. Problem was it is $450 and insurance only covers $80. I think the next step will be to go on a long term low dose prophylactic antibiotic.

She doesn't drink a lot of water - and I'm trying to get her to drink more - knowing it would help. But she is a stubborn wench 😄

I use this every time i Cath and so far luck be with me no UTI try it ...

AZO Urinary Tract Defense, Antibacterial Urinary Tract

AZO relieves symptoms- doesn’t cure the infection. At least rhat’s What our docs say.

Is there any "secret" to not getting UTI's when using a catheter.?? I have used catheters in the past without much trouble, I did get one UTI and got it cleared up after a trip to the Dr. Didn't tell him I was using a catheter.

I used one a few weeks ago and almost instantly I got a UTI. I did clean myself well, the catheter was sterile and so was the lub I used in my penis. I got the catheter in, inflated the balloon and was in heaven since I didn't have to get up to pee two or three times a night.

When I removed the catheter, it seemed like the next day I had a UTI. Went to the Dr. ended up being a Physicians Assistant and she gave me some drugs to clear up the infection. I didn't tell her I used a catheter and that I loved them also.

The drugs cleared up the UTI and I am now fine.

I would just like to have a better way to enjoy the use of a catheter and not get UTI's.

Do you have a death wish?? not to say you have been cathing is about the stupidist thing I’ve heard.

I hope you meet someone with end stage renal failure who can enlighten you

Since I have to cath 3 times a day, UTI's are inevitable, so I try to use a "clean" technique as much as possible. I've had at least 2 UTI's caused by Staph. Epidermitis.; that's the bug that lives normally on your skin all over the body. I suspect that this bug was on the tip of the penis and I got it in contact with the sterile cath I inserted. I've had other UTI's move into kidney infections; I get back pain and stinging on urination. I call my urologist right away and take him a urine sample. He calls in Macrodantin, Bactrim-DS, or something else.

E. Coli is not the only Enterobacter that causes UTI's: Proteus, Klebsiella, and pseudomonas are other enterobacteria that can do it. These can be deadly in elderly, immunocompromised patients. Pyelonephritis progresses into sepsis and they get an overall bloodstream infection that can kill.

I’m a T8 paraplegic. I have to cath to pee around every four hours. UTIs have to be treated with antibiotics and lots of water. I get them frequently. I’ve also nearly died from sepsis caused by a UTI.

If you don’t have to use catheters, just don’t. As near as I can tell, fighting sepsis is harder than being dead. It hospitalized me for four miserable weeks.

Stick with sounding if you have a kink for that area. Stay out of your bladder. That can kill you in a very painful way.

Is there any "secret" to not getting UTI's when using a catheter.?? I have used catheters in the past without much trouble, I did get one UTI and got it cleared up after a trip to the Dr.

Practice sterile techniques, though even then there is no guarantee. The only time I've had a catheter was in hospital and I got a UTI. Mind you, I get them at the drop of a hat....

E. Coli is not the only Enterobacter that causes UTI's: Proteus, Klebsiella, and pseudomonas are other enterobacteria that can do it. These can be deadly in elderly, immunocompromised patients. Pyelonephritis progresses into sepsis and they get an overall bloodstream infection that can kill.

I have an uncle who died last year of a bladder infection. He was 80. Scary.

Is there any "secret" to not getting UTI's when using a catheter.?? I have used catheters in the past without much trouble, I did get one UTI and got it cleared up after a trip to the Dr. Didn't tell him I was using a catheter.

As a few have mentioned being as sterile as possible is the key to not getting a UTI.. Always use sterile gloves and try and not touch the catheter itself during the insertion. Also use plenty of lube , sterile if possible, as it prevents trauma to the urethra during insertion. You really don't want trauma to occur as injury to the urethra will increase the risk of getting a UTI.

In addition after removal drink lots of water to help flush the bladder and urethra, drinking cranberry can also help . There is an active ingredient in cranberries that can prevent adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall, particularly E. coli, although this a bit controversial as it may not really prevent UTI's, but it does help to reduce the risk. Once a UTI has occurred you really need antibiotics .

Cranberries contain D-mannose, a type of sugar that’s related to the better-known glucose.

E. coli bacteria cause 90 percent of UTIs. Once these bacteria enter the urinary tract, they latch on to cells, grow, and cause infection. Researchers think that D-mannose might work to treat or prevent a UTI by stopping these bacteria from latching on.

After you consume foods or supplements containing D-mannose, your body eventually eliminates it through the kidneys and into the urinary tract.While in the urinary tract, it can attach to the E. coli bacteria that may be there. As a result, the bacteria can no longer attach to cells and cause infection.

There isn’t much research on the effects of D-mannose when taken by people who have UTIs, but a few early studies show that it might help.

A 2013 study evaluated D-mannose in 308 women who had frequent UTIs. D-mannose worked about as well as the antibiotic nitrofurantoin for preventing UTIs over a 6-month period.

In a 2014 study, D-mannose was compared to the antibiotic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for treatment and prevention of frequent UTIs in 60 women.

D-mannose reduced UTI symptoms in women with an active infection. It was also more effective than the antibiotic for preventing additional infections.

A 2016 study tested the effects of D-mannose in 43 women with an active UTI. At the end of the study, most women had improved symptoms.

The best dose to use isn’t entirely clear, however. For now, only the doses that have been used in research are suggested:

For preventing frequent UTIs: 2 grams once daily, or 1 gram twice daily

For treating an active UTI: 1.5 grams twice daily for 3 days, and then once daily for 10 days; or 1 gram three times daily for 14 days

As a rule to try and prevent UTI's :

Ensure you employ sterility

Drink Plenty of Fluids. Hydration status has been linked to the risk of urinary tract infection. ...

Increase Vitamin C Intake. ...

Drink Unsweetened Cranberry Juice. ...

Take a Probiotic. ...

Hope this helps

RN

I drink a bottle of water with a 1/2 tsp baking soda and i also use a baking soda to flush the bladder from time to time when i get ready to pull the Foley out i inject about 150 ML of baking soda mixed with water into the bladder and then pee out the baking soda after ,,so far never had a UTI...hope this helps others also baking soda to neutralize acid and the burning if you have a UTI...

I use a triple antibiotic ointment for lube. so far no issues.

Water water water and cranberry juice.

I get urine infections at least every 6-8 weeks. I self catheterise 4-6 times a day, sometimes more depending on how much I’ve drank in the day.

I take a prophylaxis antibiotic Cephalexin for 4 weeks then switch to co-amoxiclav for 4 weeks. I can’t say either of these drugs work better than the other one.

I still have a sacral neuromodulator device implanted and turned on constantly but as yet hasn’t reduced the infections I get significantly as we’d hoped it might. I did for a short time get a spell of going 8-10 weeks before I got infection.

just before Christmas I was on oral antibiotics for a UTI. Three days of taking them and I woke up feeling very poorly. Heart rate was 145 . Temperature was 41.2. I was shivering from head to toe. I called an ambulance who took me straight into resus on blue lights. After a while they diagnosed pyelonephritis. I was moved to a room on my own. That night I shivered for a full 12 hours. I was moved upstairs into Critical care and diagnosed with urinary sepsis. I can’t remember much of the next 48 hours only that I shivered continually. Eventually a different antibiotic was tried and my fever broke. Everyone was relieved. I’ve had some scary ill health episodes in my 43 years. That one in particular is one I won’t forget in a hurry. I hated feeling so ill.

Next stop for me is to have a suprapubic catheter inserted for a while to see if it helps my sacral neuromodulator work as good again as it was just over 12 months ago.

D-Manoose is something my consultant recommends as well as taking probiotics and drinking cranberry juice.

Catheter insertion needs to be 100% sterile where possible.

Nik

Next stop for me is to have a suprapubic catheter inserted for a while to see if it helps my sacral neuromodulator work as good again as it was just over 12 months ago.

Every time you insert a cath you risk including a bug - even tho the cath itself is sterile. My wife has a suprapubic cath and has had no problems/infections for six months. Lots of uti’s before that. Constant use of antibiotics can result in a bug building a resistance to them. Swap out a new Supra one every 8_12 weeks. Best of luck!

Living on cephalexin and augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulanic acid) is not good. You need to see different physician to get better ideas on your treatment.

Your body is a breeding ground for resistant bacteria.

I use catheters everyday and at least 5 times a day and I take Nitrofurantoin to prevent getting any UTI’s

I use a triple antibiotic ointment for lube. so far no issues.

Thanks for the tip I now coat the Catheters with the Ointment before I insert and use a little sterile lube..It make the Foley feel good and have not had any problems with the tip getting sore….Thanks

O.K. now you guy's are scaring me as I now have to live with the catheter . I was instructed by one of the nurse's that put in my catheter that every morning to clean with disinfect wipe's from tip to end of catheter then to pull my penis back on the catheter as far as i can and to applied neosporn triple antibiotic to the tip and allow it to ease up . And that this is to be my morning routine . I was also given a prescription for cefdinir 300mg cap's to take if i notice any thing untoward happing and to call a doc . Now this is to be my life from now on It behooves me to pay attention to any good advice

I would not use a urinary catheter if I did not have to. I spent nearly four extremely miserable weeks in a local hospital fighting for my life due to UTI caused sepsis. You are flirting with almost certain disaster.

I've had catheters a number of times and a few UTIs, so have a few thoughts on the issues:

First off, they can be extremely uncomfortable at best with burning while peeing and extreme urgency many times a day. And it goes down hill from there to a prolonged hospital stay and even death. If you get cloudy pee, don't play around with home ‘cures’… go to a doctor or walk-in clinic, pronto. If you have an elevated temperature consider the ER.

While some UTIs can be treated with a few pills of an anti-biotic, some require longer courses, and this can have side effects, like a badly messed up GI tract, because the anti-biotics also kill ye micocritters needed to process poo. That happened to me and I pood soup many times a day for about 6 months. No fun !!

While catheters can be fun, if you have them because of need, till wears off petty quickly.

Also, NEVER cut cones on proper sterile technique during insertion. Even with the best precautions, UTIs happen. Also, with a Foley the longer it is in, the more likely you'll get a UTI.

FWIW.

I use CompactCaths. They are clear plastic (vinyl?) prelubricated and slide in effortlessly. They come in a sleeve so no need to touch the catheter. I've had the plastic ones before and the were very stiff and difficult to negotiate the curve before the prostate. They have several styles. I've only used the straight ones.

I understand fully . The problem started with my having to were diapers for the last 5 years . , that started extreme diaper rash and raw red bleeding over my entire rear , that let to a low grade urinary and bladder infection . That led to blood clots . as one clot went through my hart that was a hart attack , the clot reached my brain . that led to me getting a ride in a helicopter . all that was the beginning of this month . so it's the choice of catheter and infection if do don't get it right or hart attack's and Stroock . I was lucky this time . the blood clot dissolved before much permeant damage was done . I just have a little trouble talking . a little trouble thinking . my left side of my mouth doesn't work . So I'm screwed if i go back into diapers and maybe screwed with the catheter . But I have no other choice . Right now the choice is catheter or running down my legs . So if it's a catheter or pissing my pant's I'll just have to do the best i can . It took 2 weeks to heal my rear although it is still painful . Right now it's to be changed by a doctor in her office . that may change or not in the future . I do have to say i haven't slept this good in years . I don't wake up having to change my bed cloth's or take a shower at 4 A.M. then try to change myself as well . I don't go to town and have my diaper leak and flood my pants . Or ride my quad out and find that when i think I'm alone and have to change there is others watching . Or that the diaper has a small hole and that my pants are flooded not just wet . I'm not out $300.00 a month on diapers and supplies . I'll take a chance and try my best to do it right .

I had one and the burning was really bad and the repetition was even worse and before it was over I had a 103 fever and the emergency room

No catheters for me thank you! However, I take a cranberry pill daily, otherwise I get a UTI within 3 days.

Have heard about D-manose but supposedly it does not work with cranberry pills.

Once upon a time, several years ago. I was getting urinary bacterial infections all the damn time. I asked my doctor about it & he said it was b/c I wasn't drinking enough fluids. So I tried drinking between a half gallon & a full gallon everyday & sure enough I stopped getting bacterial infections. This was important b/c I later found out I have stagec3 chronic kidney disease. They can tell from my tests whether I'm drinking enough. Drinking a lot of fluids is important for good kidney & bowel function.

Being in the medical field I can say I have heard the doctors tell patients to drink a lot of water and some cranberry juice to almost every patient.

And on there way out, the patients, are always reminded to do the same thing. I tell the patients it is like you are flushing your radiator every day. And from all the females as well as males here they all are saying the same thing.

So bottoms up on all those glasses of water and a glass of cranberry juice mixed in the day.